Why my pc monitor wont go out of standby mode

[eliseg]

When I turn on my Compaq, the computer is good and runs, but the monitor will not exit standby mode. The orange light indicating power to the screen does not turn to green to allow images to be seen. I have tried restarting, unplugging, replugging, etc. Any help?

 

[borisof007]

Let's try and get a better description here:

Is your problem:

1. I turn on the computer, use it successfully (that is, the monitor is working while within my O/S doing whatever I am doing, playing games, surfing the web, etc), but when I leave it alone and it goes into standby, I can't get it OUT of standby.

OR

2. I turn on the computer, but no image appears on my screen at all, I can't get into Windows/whatever, No BIOS, No POST, it just has the orange light on the monitor.

Which is it? They're VERY distinctly different problems.

 

[Wamphryi]

The monitor may have a bad input port. If it has another input such as D-Sub (VGA) and a DVI port and you have the other cable type then try out the other port and see if this isolates the issue.

 

[jsc]

First, does the monitor work with another computer?

Second, if it does (means it is good), does your system POST and give the usual "All is well" short beep?

If yes, probably the video card is bad.

If no, then the computer is really broken.

Work through our standard checklist and troubleshooting thread:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-read-posting-boot-problems
I mean work through, not just read over it. We spent a lot of time on this. It should find most of the problems.

If not, continue.

I have tested the following beep patterns on Gigabyte, eVGA, and ECS motherboards. Other BIOS' may be different.

Breadboard - that will help isolate any kind of case problem you might have.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/262730-31-breadboarding

Breadboard with just motherboard, CPU & HSF, case speaker, and PSU.

Make sure you plug the CPU power cable in. The system will not boot without it.

I always breadboard a new build. It takes only a few minutes, and you know you are putting good parts in the case.

You can turn on the PC by momentarily shorting the two pins that the case power switch goes to. You should hear a series of long, single beeps indicating memory problems. Silence indicates a problem with (in most likely order) the PSU, motherboard, or CPU. Remember, at this time, you do not have a graphics card installed so the load on your PSU will be reduced.

If no beeps:
Running fans and drives and motherboard LED's do not necessarily indicate a good PSU. In the absence of a single short beep, they also do not indicate that the system is booting.

At this point, you can sort of check the PSU. Try to borrow a known good PSU of around 550 - 600 watts. That will power just about any system with a single GPU. If you cannot do that, use a DMM to measure the voltages. Measure between the colored wires and either chassis ground or the black wires. Yellow wires should be 12 volts. Red wires: +5 volts, orange wires: +3.3 volts, blue wire : -12 volts, violet wire: 5 volts always on. Tolerances are +/- 5% except for the -12 volts which is +/- 10%.

The gray wire is really important. It should go from 0 to +5 volts when you turn the PSU on with the case switch. CPU needs this signal to boot.

You can turn on the PSU by completely disconnecting the PSU and using a paperclip or jumper wire to short the green wire to one of the neighboring black wires.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FWXgQSokF4&feature=youtube_gdata

This checks the PSU under no load conditions, so it is not completely reliable. But if it can not pass this, it is dead. Then repeat the checks with the PSU plugged into the computer to put a load on the PSU.

If the system beeps:
If it looks like the PSU is good, install a memory stick. Boot. Beep pattern should change to one long and several short beeps indicating a missing graphics card.

Silence or long single beeps indicate a problem with the memory.

Insert the video card and connect any necessary PCIe power connectors. Boot. At this point, the system should POST successfully (a single short beep). Notice that you do not need keyboard, mouse, monitor, or drives to successfully POST.

Now start connecting the rest of the devices starting with the monitor, then keyboard and mouse, then the rest of the devices, testing after each step. It's possible that you can pass the POST with a defective video card. The POST routines can only check the video interface. It cannot check the internal parts of the video card.

 

[eliseg]

I apologize for my lack of specification, Boris. The problem is more like number 2.

JSC, again, I apologize, but unfortunately I'm not savvy [or perhaps smart] enough to understand half your terms =) I'll try to read through.

Thank you for your help

 

[eliseg]

I had used my computer/monitor the night before just fine, watching movies and whatnot. Then the next morning the computer turned on, but the monitor didn't [it's on, but won't go from the orange light to the green]. They are both 4 years old, but only used a little bit at a time. Never had internet. Only pictures and a few files on the system. Collective use probably equals 6 months to 1 year. Other times in storage or simply not hooked up at a desk.

 

[borisof007]

Per your description then, it looks like that you have a bad GPU, but we have no idea what components are in your system.

You would need to list us what parts are in your system in order for us to recommend a solution.

I'm getting a general feeling that you bought this computer pre-built, like an HP or Dell. Can you tell us at least if you are hooking your monitor up to an integrated graphics chip on the motherboard, or to a video card?

 

[eliseg]

Oh dear, all I can tell you is the basics of what I know.

It was definitely pre-built. Compaq presario - intel 4 processor

I don't know the internal workings, all I know is that I hook it up by plugging it in and screwing the sides of the plug. It looks like you have done all you can do for me... I'm sorry I can't be more specific!

Thank you for your time and help.

 

[borisof007]

I'd recommend having someone local look at it then to see if it's something to where they can just replace a part inside the computer (eg: a video card) or if it's your motherboard GPU that died. If it's the video card, that's a cheap fix. If it's a motherboard, you might as well buy a new computer and have a tech friend back up all your files for you.